NY State Senate Bill 2025-S10423

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 15, 2026	referred to transportation

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Add §1212-a, V & T L; add §§120.75 & 125.28, amd §70.25, Pen L

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts Alexa and Lindsey's law; prohibits disabling safety features in motor vehicles; provides enhanced penalties where it causes an accident that harms or kills another person; provides that if multiple people are harmed or killed as a result of an unsafe vehicle modification a consecutive sentence may be imposed.

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S10423

SPONSOR: RHOADS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the penal law, in
relation to prohibiting unsafe vehicle modifications and providing
enhanced sentencing guidelines where an accident harms or kills someone
as a result of the unsafe vehicle modification

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Enacts Alexa and Lindsey's law.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. This act shall be known as and may be sited as "Alexa and
Lindsey's law."

§ 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
1212-a to read as follows:

§ 1212-a. Unsafe vehicle modifications. 1. For the purpose of this
section, "vehicle safety feature" shall mean any device, system, equip-
ment, software, or technology installed in or on a motor vehicle and
designed to assist in preventing crashes, reducing injuries or fatali-
ties, improving driver awareness or vehicle control, or otherwise
enhancing the safe operation of a motor vehicle as further defined in
the bill.

§ 3. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 120.75 to read as
follows:

§ 120.75 Assault while operating a vehicle with a disabled vehicle safe-
ty feature.

§ 4. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 125.28 to read as
follows:

§ 125.28 Manslaughter while operating a vehicle with disabled vehicle
safety features.  A person guilty of manslaughter while operating a
vehicle with a disabled vehicle safety feature when such person causes
the death of another person when such person operates a motor vehicle in
violation of subdivision two of section one thousand two hundred
twelve-a of the vehicle and traffic law, and as a result such vehicle
and safety features being disabled cause the death of such other person.
Manslaughter while operating vehicle with a disabled vehicle safety
features is a class C felony.

§ 5. Subdivision 2 of section 70.25 of the penal law, as amended by
chapter 56 of the laws of 1984 is amended as defined in the bill.

b. Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the court may
impose consecutive sentences where: (i) more than one sentence of impri-
sonment is imposed on a person for two or more in violation of section
120.75 or 125.28 this chapter; and (ii) such multiple counts were
charged based upon multiple victims suffering physical injury, serious
physical injury or death as a result of a single act or omission by the
defendant.
§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:  When a driver chooses to get behind the wheel of a car
while drunk, they know the decision they are making puts lives, includ-
ing their own, at serious risk. Recently on Long Island, a driver made a
decision to impair not himself, but the car which he drove. Getting
behind the wheel after allegedly intentionally tampering with and disa-
bling the brakes on his vehicle, the accused knowingly hindered his
ability to safely operate the vehicle.

Tragically, this decision would have consequences that ended the lives
of two passengers in the vehicle, two young women whose lives had just
begun, both nineteen years old and one being a volunteer firefighters.
The driver, who escaped the wreck unscathed despite being responsible
for the death of his two passengers, is facing two counts of second-de-
gree manslaughter with no up charge for the actions taken to disable a
safety device. If convicted, the sentences for the deaths of both
passengers must run concurrently.

This bill sends the message that New York state treats impaired driving
seriously, and this legislation will close the gaps in the current law
that allow for this driver to serve time for only one of the people he
killed by deliberately disabling his own vehicle before using it and
would create a separate criminal charge for aggravated vehicular
manslaughter and aggravated assault.

In doing so, this legislation will make all forms of impaired driving a
serious crime, deterring future events such as these and ensuring those
responsible for the death of innocent teenagers like Alexa and Lindsey
are held to justice.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10423
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RHOADS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and  traffic  law  and  the  penal  law,  in
   relation  to  prohibiting  unsafe  vehicle modifications and providing
   enhanced sentencing guidelines where an accident harms or kills  some-
   one as a result of the unsafe vehicle modification

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 "Alexa and Lindsey's law".
   §  2.  The  vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
 1212-a to read as follows:
   § 1212-A. UNSAFE VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS. 1. FOR THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 SECTION,  "VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURE" SHALL MEAN ANY DEVICE, SYSTEM, EQUIP-
 MENT, SOFTWARE, OR TECHNOLOGY INSTALLED IN OR ON  A  MOTOR  VEHICLE  AND
 DESIGNED  TO  ASSIST IN PREVENTING CRASHES, REDUCING INJURIES OR FATALI-
 TIES, IMPROVING  DRIVER  AWARENESS  OR  VEHICLE  CONTROL,  OR  OTHERWISE
 ENHANCING  THE  SAFE  OPERATION  OF  A  MOTOR VEHICLE, INCLUDING BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO SAFETY BELTS, AIRBAGS, ADVANCED  DRIVER  ASSISTANCE  SYSTEMS,
 AUTOMATIC  EMERGENCY  BRAKING SYSTEMS, COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS, LANE
 DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEMS,  BLIND  SPOT  DETECTION  SYSTEMS,  ELECTRONIC
 STABILITY  CONTROL  SYSTEMS, BACKUP CAMERAS, AND OTHER COMPUTER-BASED OR
 AUTOMATED SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES.
   2. NO PERSON SHALL INTENTIONALLY DISABLE A VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURE ON A
 MOTOR VEHICLE AND OPERATE SUCH MOTOR VEHICLE UPON A PUBLIC HIGHWAY WHILE
 SUCH VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES ARE DISABLED.
   3. A VIOLATION OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE A  CLASS  A
 MISDEMEANOR.
   §  3.  The penal law is amended by adding a new section 120.75 to read
 as follows:
 § 120.75 ASSAULT WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE WITH A DISABLED VEHICLE SAFE-
            TY FEATURE.
   A PERSON IS GUILTY OF ASSAULT WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE WITH  A  DISA-
 BLED  VEHICLE  SAFETY  FEATURE  WHEN SUCH PERSON CAUSES SERIOUS PHYSICAL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD15913-01-6
 S. 10423                            2
 
 INJURY TO ANOTHER PERSON WHEN SUCH PERSON OPERATES A  MOTOR  VEHICLE  IN
 VIOLATION  OF  SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  SECTION  ONE  THOUSAND  TWO HUNDRED
 TWELVE-A OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW, AND AS A RESULT OF SUCH VEHICLE
 AND SAFETY FEATURE BEING DISABLED CAUSES SUCH SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY TO
 SUCH OTHER PERSON.
   ASSAULT  WHILE  OPERATING  A  VEHICLE  WITH  A DISABLED VEHICLE SAFETY
 FEATURE IS A CLASS D FELONY.
   § 4. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 125.28  to  read
 as follows:
 § 125.28 MANSLAUGHTER  WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE WITH A DISABLED VEHICLE
            SAFETY FEATURE.
   A PERSON IS GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER WHILE OPERATING A  VEHICLE  WITH  A
 DISABLED  VEHICLE  SAFETY  FEATURE  WHEN SUCH PERSON CAUSES THE DEATH OF
 ANOTHER PERSON WHEN SUCH PERSON OPERATES A MOTOR VEHICLE IN VIOLATION OF
 SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION ONE THOUSAND  TWO  HUNDRED  TWELVE-A  OF  THE
 VEHICLE  AND  TRAFFIC  LAW,  AND  AS A RESULT OF SUCH VEHICLE AND SAFETY
 FEATURE BEING DISABLED CAUSES THE DEATH OF SUCH OTHER PERSON.
   MANSLAUGHTER WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE WITH A DISABLED VEHICLE  SAFETY
 FEATURE IS A CLASS C FELONY.
   §  5.  Subdivision  2 of section 70.25 of the penal law, as amended by
 chapter 56 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
   2. (A) When more than one sentence of imprisonment  is  imposed  on  a
 person  for two or more offenses committed through a single act or omis-
 sion, or through an act or omission which in itself constituted  one  of
 the  offenses  and  also  was  a  material  element  of  the  other, the
 sentences, except if one or more of such sentences is for a violation of
 section 270.20 of this chapter, must run concurrently.
   (B) NOTWITHSTANDING PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE  COURT  MAY
 IMPOSE CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES WHERE: (I) MORE THAN ONE SENTENCE OF IMPRI-
 SONMENT  IS  IMPOSED  ON A PERSON FOR TWO OR MORE COUNTS IN VIOLATION OF
 SECTION 120.75 OR 125.28 OF THIS CHAPTER; AND (II) SUCH MULTIPLE  COUNTS
 WERE  CHARGED  BASED  UPON  MULTIPLE  VICTIMS SUFFERING PHYSICAL INJURY,
 SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY OR DEATH AS A RESULT OF A SINGLE ACT OR OMISSION
 OF THE DEFENDANT.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S10423

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Actions

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Steven D. Rhoads

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Actions

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S10423 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments